EVANGELICALISM

[dio9]

What is it that distinguishes evangelicalism as a unique member of the Christian body?
What is the difference between progressives and evangelicals? Is there something theological like Luther's thesis, or practice or behavior , political , issues or what ?
Help me understand what makes evangelicals a unique part of the Christian body?

[marco]

I said that "mainline Christians, by contrast tend to preach by example, not words. And they leave the fate of non-believers to the love and mercy of God".

That in contrast to Evangelicals.

Maybe you consider Evangelicals "mainline" I don't. By "mainline" I was referring to Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, and "progressive" as you say, Protestant denominations..

I know exactly what you said. No need to waste bandwidth by re-stating it.

So now it's double-hooey.

Ohhhh... I guess I'll get dinged by a mod or two for that...

Moderator Intervention


Let me intervene to stop this escalating. Why make such remarks? We're not here to control barbed-wire fences but to make sure nobody gets uncivilly treated and discussion flows normally. You do yourself no credit by making such comments, so please act in a civil - dare I say - Christian manner. It's a friendly forum. Keep it so.




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[dio9]

correct me if I am wrong , Evangelicals believe Christ is cming back with an army of angels to kill (I guess) all the bad guys. And other angels are going to reek havoc on the world. But evangelical believers they will be raptured up to meet Jesus, so no worry. So the kingdom of God is going to be established by violence?Not!I can't agree. If that is the Evangelical belief all I can say is duhuh?

[dio9]

[Replying to post 17 by JehovahsWitness]

Well yes but there is something we can do about it. Something we ought to do about it. An avenging Christ is so different from the loving Jesus of the Gospels. Love is the answer . Not avenging angels.

[JehovahsWitness]

Evangelicals believe Christ is cming back with an army of angels to kill (I guess) all the bad guys.

Emphasis MINE

MATTHEW 25: 31-32, 41, 46

“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. .. “Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go away from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. These will depart into everlasting cutting-off...

MATTHEW 24:37-39

For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be

2 PETER 2:9

... unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment

All passages NWT





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[marco]

MATTHEW 25: 31-32, 41, 46

“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. .. “Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go away from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. These will depart into everlasting cutting-off...

Year of Our Lord, 2018. We think that every human being will appear in front of a "glorious throne." Is this a metaphorical throne composed of glory or a glorious throne composed of metaphor? No matter. The sheep will have their set speeches "When did I do that, Lord" and the goats will also have learned their set pieces. Amazing. Some will get presents and others punishment. It used to be that the baddies would be thrown into eternal fire but here they suffer "everlasting cutting-off". That's an amusing turn of phrase.

How do we cut off everlastingly, when cutting off takes a moment? Of course the phrase is used to make Christ fall in line with modern man's opinion (not vice versa) and the clever translators want people to know that being cut off is an awful punishment. The baddies are senseless; like rocks they lie unconsciously at rest. Unless of course the "eternal cutting off is re-enacted daily."


It is 2018.

[JehovahsWitness]

Is this a metaphorical throne composed of glory or a glorious throne composed of metaphor?

It is a metaphoric throne. A metaphor is a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else. Much of Jesus' recorded discourse features this device. In the bible "throne" is often used as a metaphor for ruling power/royal authority. So Jesus words can be taken to mean that he will return as the ruling king of Gods kingdom goverment, to exercise his given authority over the inhabitants of the planet earth (compare Matthew 28: 19, 20)

ISAIAH 9:6-11

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us; And the rulership* will rest on his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. To the increase of his rulership and to peace, there will be no end, on the throne of David and on his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it through justice and righteousness ...

* government



JW


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PLEASE NOTE All the above ideas are presented as my faith based opinions as one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 25 by marco]

REWARD AND PUNISHMENT

Some will get presents and others punishment.

• Yes, this is what we call justice. For example, if a man brutally kills a family, raping and torturing the children before disposing of their bodies. That action will usually be punished. On the other hand, if someone were to perform a noble act, for example a selfless act of bravery, it is not unusual for that person to receive some kind of recognition for that act. Little babies would call this a "present" but grown ups usually call this "a reward"..

Amazing.

JW




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PLEASE NOTE All the above ideas are presented as my faith based opinions as one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 25 by marco]



Question: Are there metaphors in the bible?

Yes. Note below an exchange that touches on the existence of metaphor in scrupture:

Why understand these words to be metaphor?

Because that is what they are. When Christ says he is the vine he's not literally meaning he produces grapes. When he says he's a way, he is not a way but he means the way is through what he teaches.

QUESTION: In Matthew chapter 25 where Jesus speaks of SHEEP and GOATS, did he mean every individual literally have set speeches when Jesus returns?

• No, Jesus was giving an illustration. An illustration is a picture (in this case a word picture/story) to teach a point. When he speaks about "sheep" and "goats" that "speak" it does not mean that farm animals will literally begin to give set speech. Rather he was usjng a metaphor, refering to human beings (people) that display certain qualities and act in particular ways as "sheep" oor "goats". He was using a "metaphor" (see the excellent explanation of metaphor above)

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PLEASE NOTE All the above ideas are presented as my faith based opinions as one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

[dio9]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness]

I am referring to the book of revelations account of the return of Christ, where he comes like a warrior king . I believe this is the book people are thinking of when we're talking about the Last Days. That book clearly predicts a great final war called Armageddon. I worry that evangelicals are believing the world is heading for this terrible end before God'd Kingdom can be established. Are we to think humanity is so hopelessly stupid that we can't avoid global destruction? That Christ can't build the Kingdom with us together peacefully.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 1 by dio9]

Evanegelicals take it upon themselves to preach to others, assuming "the Lost" will go to hell if they don't come around to their way of thinking. They call it "witnessing". They take the "Great Commision" as non-negotiable. A binding imperative on all believers.

I don't know what specifics you mean by "their way of thinking." That's too broad a statement. The only conditions they preach* concerning salvation is that one must believe on (faith) and accept Christ as Lord and Savior. They believe repentance of sins is a sign of true believers.

*with the exception of the Church of Christ which teaches the requirements for salvation are belief, acceptance, repentance, and baptism by emersion.